'That's the story of his whole career'
'That's the story of his whole career'
Leandro Trossard joined Brighton in 2019 and spent four seasons with the Seagulls before switching to Arsenal in January 2023 in a deal worth up to £27m.
At moments last season he looked ludicrously talented, beating players with his low centre of gravity and superb dribbling skills.
He scored 17 goals, including a crucial one against Porto in Arsenal's Champions League last-16 win and another in the first leg of their quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
"That's the story of his whole career - you don't think he will reach the next level but he hits the top every time," said Bocholter's current goalkeeper Stijn Wertelaers, Trossard's former team-mate and friend.
"I played with all those players, Kevin de Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, but Leandro's path from the third division at 16 to Arsenal now is the craziest I've seen."
It feels like Trossard's journey is one celebrated by the whole municipality of Bocholt, tucked away in the north-east corner of Belgium.
"He is almost impossible for us to comprehend," said Bocholter VV board member Chris Kwanten. "We're a pretty small club in a small country. Genk and Anderlecht is a huge level for us.
"We can barely picture the size of a club like Arsenal. Seeing him play for the national team against the very best teams in the world, we are very proud of that."
Read more about Trossard's story